Method of assembling pull tabs to sliders



April 20, 1954 B. P. LAWSON METHOD OF ASSEMBLING PULL TABS TO SLIDERSFiled Dec. 1 1951 Patented Apr. 20, 1954 METHOD OF ASSEMBLING PULL TABSTO SLIDERS Birdsall P. Lawson, Providence, R. 1., assignor to PillingChain Company, Providence, R. I., a corporation of Rhode IslandApplication December 1, 1951, Serial No. 259,361

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel method of assembling a pull tab to aseparable fastener slider of the reversible type.

In the so-called reversible type of slider for separable fasteners, suchas shown and described, for example, in U. S. Patent No. 2,495,176, theguide members or wings are interconnected at one end by a pivot so thatthey may be swung apart to completely disengage the slider hooks orelements and be re-engaged therewith in a relatively reversed position.Normally, the guide members are held in substantially parallel relationby means cooperable with the pull tab of the slider, such means usuallycomprising aligned apertures in interengaged male and female ears on thetwo members receiving separable stub shafts or pins on the pull tab.When the pull tab is forced toward a given position, cooperating cammeans spread the tabv pins sufliciently to release the male car so thatthe guide members may be swung apart.

The hinging connection between the guide members is provided by forminga male ear projecting from one member and engageable between spacedfemale ears on the other member. The three ears are formed with holeswhich are aligned, when the members are properly assembled, to receive afastening pin which may then be headed to prevent displacement.

The pull tab for such sliders comprises a sub stantially fiat U-shapedmetal piece having short pins, fingers or stub shafts on the outer endsof its arms extending toward each other in alignment. An upwardlyprojecting apertured ear on the lower wing extends between two similarfemale ears on the upper member, and the tab is assembled to the sliderby spreading the tab arms so that the pins are spaced the thickness ofthe three ears and can snap into the aligned aperture. When the tabisforced toward one extreme position, abutments on the inner edges of itsarms engage a cam surface which spreads the arms sufficiently that thepins disengage the central or male car while remaining engaged in eachfemale car. This allows the wings to be swung out of parallelism todisengage the fastener elements so that the slider can be removed andreversed in re-assembly on the fastener.

The amount of spreading of the tab arms required in assembling the tabwith the fastener by slipping the open tab end over all three ears isdetrimental to the desired springiness of the tab and may result inmalfunctioning or disengagement of the tab. In accordance with thepresent invention, this is avoided by a novel 2 structural change in theslider and a novel assembly method.

For an understanding of the invention method, reference is made to thefollowing description of a typical application thereof as illustrated inthe accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation View of a slider embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of the invention slider in the fastenerrelease position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a plan viewof the pull tab.

' Referring to Figs. 1 through 5 of the drawings, a reversible slider isillustrated as including a male member or wing I and a female member orwing 20. Member Hi includes a fiat wall H partially bounded by flangesl2 to form a Y- shaped channel for passage of the separable fastenerelements through the slider. A 'substantially triangular abutment l3projects from wall ll adjacent the diverging end of the member, abutmentl3 having a flat surface M for a purpose to be described. An earprojects rear wardly and outwardly from abutment I 3, having arearwardly disposed aperture and an outwardly disposed aperture H. Theouter edge of ear I5 is tapered, as at ill, for a purpose to bedescribed.

Female member 20 is similar in outline to male member l0, having a flatwall 2| partially bounded by flanges 22 and a fiat surface 24 arrangedto engage surface M to maintain members I0 and 20 normally inparallelism with flanges l2 and 22 in substantially parallel spacedrelation. A pair of laterally spaced ears 25 project vertically inopposing directions from wall 2|, the respective opposing portionsthereof being indicated at 25a and 2%, the inner walls of ears 25 beingspaced sufficient to receive ear I 5 therebetween. The ear portions 25ahave parallel walls while ear portions 25b have inner walls in alignmentwith those of the ear portions 25a, while the outer walls thereof areinclined to form cam surfaces 23, for a purpose to be later described.Just forwardly of ear portions 25b, wall 2! has outwardly projectinglaterally spaced ears 23 each having a U-shaped recess 26 thereinalignable with aperture l 7 when the members I!) and 20 are assembled.

When the two members are assembled in parallelism, with ear I5 engagedbetween the inner faces or walls of ear portions 25a and 25b of ears 25and with the surface it engaging surface l4,

the flanges l2 and 22 are spaced to pass the stringers of a separablefastener. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the teethof a closed fastener are disengaged as they pass from trunk passage 31into branch passages 32, 32 to either side of abutment l3, and arere-engaged by passing from *branch passages '32 "into trunk passage 3|.

Wings iii and 2!} are hinged together by a pin extending through ears l5and portions a bf ears 25. Alternatively, this connection may be formedas shown, described and claimed inmy copending application Serial No.359,362, filedDecember l, 1951, for Pivotal Connections for HingedMembers of Sliders-or the Like? 7 The pull tab for the slider is shownat hand in detail in Fig. 5, as being a substantially flat, springymetal member, generally V-shapein plan, which latter shape provides forthe utilization of a maximum bending moment without deformation-upondevelopment of stress thereon. Tab '40 has a bight 4i and diverging arms42, :42. Each arm has an abutment 43"911 its inner edge-near its freeend. The free end of each arm has a short stub shaft or pin 44 extendingat rig-ht angles thereto, these pins beingin alignment and slightlyspaced from each other.

In accordance with the present invention, tab 49 is assembled with theslider in the following manner. The arms 42,42 are spreadjust-sufficiently to engage the taperedsurfaces 18,18 of ear +5. Thefingers 44 arethen forcedinw-ardly over surfaces I3, 58 being spreadfurther apart thereby, and into slots-or recess 26. The fingers thensnap into aperture 4'1. To complete the assembly, the projectiQnsZQ-bounding recesses 26 are then bent around pins 44 as shown in brokenlines in Fig. l and in full lines in -Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Thus, by virtueof the specific v-conformationof the tab it and itsaferesaid utilizationof 'its maximum bending-moment without deformation under stress, thearms 42 thereof need be spread only one-third the amount normallyrequired, reducing the assembly stress on the pull tab.

When tab 48 is assembled to the. slider, the surface 24 is held againstsurface '14 to maintain wings Hi and 29 in parallelism. To release theslider from afastener, tab 40 is forced rearwardly to theposition ofFigs. 3 and 4. Abutments 43 engage sloping cam surfaces 28 on ears 25bto spread arms 42. Pins Mare thus released "from aperture H while beingheld by bent-over projections 29 of ears 23. Wing 20 thus swings aboutthe pivotal connection between ear l5 and ears 2554, under the pressureon" tab 40, so that the slides may be disengaged from the fastener andreversed, if desired. The inner ends of pins 44 ride on ear l5, andreadily snapba'ckint'o aperture I! when tab 40 is swung toth'e oppositeposition and pressed inwardly.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventionprinciples thereof, it should be understood that the invention may beotherwise embodied without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of assembling a-pull tab to a separable fastener slide ofthe type having a pair of guide wings hingedly interrelated at one end,an abutment extending from the inner surface of one wing "and having aflat surface parallel to "such inner surface and engageable with theinner surface of theoth'e'r wing to space the Wings in parallelrelation, an apertured ear extending from such abutment, and a pair ofspaced ears extending outwardly from said other wing and receiving said'apertured ear therebetween, the pull tab being "V-shape and having pinson the free ends of its arms extendingfnormaliy thereto towardeach-other such method comprising forming outwardly opening recesses inthe spacedears aligned with the aperture in .suchapertured ear;spreading the tab arms until the pins slip over such apertured car intothe recesses and into such aperture; and crimping the free edges of therecesses o'ver thepins.

2. The method of assembling a pull tab 'to a separable fastener slide ofthe type having a,'pair of guide wings .hinge'dly interrelated at oneend, an abutment extending from the inner-surface of one wing and havinga flat surface parallel to such inner surface and engageable with theinner surface of the other wing to space the wings in parallel'relation,an apertured ear extending from "such abutment, and a pair of spacedears extending outwardly from said other wing and receiving saidapertured ear therebetween, the pull .tab being V-shape and having pinson the free ends of its arms extending normally thereto toward eachother; such method comprising forming'outwardly opening recesses in thespaced ears aligned with the aperture in such apertured'ear; forminga'tapered surface on the outer edge of sudhaprtured ear; spreading thetab arms until the ins slip over such apertured ear into the recessesand'into such aperture,'by forcing the pins over such tapered surface;and crimping the free edges of the recesses over the pins.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,162,266 Marinsky r- June 13,1939 2,205,694 Morin June25,1-940 2,397,693 Rabinow Ap1';"2,- l946 2,495,176 Nissen r l i v Jan. 17,1950 2,526,653 Gerstman Oct. 24:, 1950

